For those who are still after an explanation, SCEA's director of marketing John Koller has one:

 

 

"Now that we're at a point where we're three years into the lifecycle of the PS3," he told Kotaku earlier, "there are so many PS3 disc-based games that are available that we think — and noticed this from our research — that most consumers that are purchasing the PS3 cite PS3 games as a primary [reason]".

"And it's not just like 50 or 60 percent. It's well into the 80 or 90 percentile range who are purchasing it for PS3 [games]. We do know that there are next gen consumers wanting to come over the the PS3. Most of those are consumers who have not utilized their PS2 for a little while and they're ready to jump into the PlayStation 3."

 

Thanks to Kotaku.com.

 

The PlayStation 4 will play PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 games via the cloud.

 

 

well you be allowed to play the ps3 games you already own

oh well. Sucks that it doesn't have backwards compatibility but I won't have to worry about it at least.

And we're most likely going to have to rebuy our physical games to play it on the PS4. I'm keeping my PS3, but I plan to get the PS4

I guess I am buying a PS4 then.

One problem. Not all past PS games will be in that cloud, which means that as time goes on, they will be lost to oblivion.

It'd be really cool, but highly unlikely, if they would allow you to transfer you're disc based games onto the cloud. So people wouldn't have to waste more money buying the games over again.

It's too bad that only games through cloud will be playable on PS4. 

I don't WANNA buy the same games that I already have! WHY SONY WHY!?!?!?

By the could?  Not quite sure I get it.

Thank God I bought another PS2 before they stopped making it.

 

Aw well, I never really had a favorite game on the PS3, since I never really owned it.

 

What I plan to do is to see if Kingdom Hearts 3 will come out on the PS4 or the PS3. If it comes out on the PS4, I won't even think about buying a PS3 after that, and vice-versa. 

Why are people complaining that they have to re-buy games? Just play the games you already own on your PS3. Being able to play them on the PS4 won't make your games any better. I can almost guarantee you they'll look & play exactly the same.

Will be a pain switching cables over and over again.

I get it. I do. I don't like it, but I get it.

 

For the first time, I really hope that this is the last console generation. I'm tired of worrying whether one generation of games will work with the next. I want a system that encompasses them all, that has room for them all. I thought the PS4 might be that system; a Playstation system for Playstation games. And it's closer than ever. But streaming games isn't owning them. It's an imitation of complete ubiquity, not the implementation of it. 

 

I have unrealistic expectations though. Sony is a company, and if I know anything it's that companies will do their darnedest to make a buck, even if it means leaving their old products behind. But I can take solace in the fact that one day I'll box up my PS3 and my physical games, and keep them for years and years, and maybe one day play them, and I'll remember why I cared about backwards compatibility in the first place.

I still wonder if that's the "real" reason Sony stopped making backward compatible consoles, or if it was just a plausible excuse to make those gamers who were new to Playstation buy both a PS2 and PS3 to get all the games they wanted (like me. ) haha!

By the cloud?  Not quite sure I get it.

Yes, I'm not quite sure what cloud is either.  Is it a place sort of like the Playstation Network where you purchase games, or is it a drive within the PS4 that can read older discs...?

 

Why are people complaining that they have to re-buy games? Just play the games you already own on your PS3. Being able to play them on the PS4 won't make your games any better. I can almost guarantee you they'll look & play exactly the same.

Problem is, not everyone has room to keep all their older systems.  Or, at least that's my case.  I've got two generations of Nintendo, two of Playstation, and three handhelds, and, honestly, I'm running out of room to support all these consoles and their games...  I would sure like a system that could play all--or at least a fair number--of them so I wouldn't have to hoard all these consoles.  But yeah, I do see your point.  I think we all just wish the PS4 could answer our troubles and have the ability to play EVERYTHING, y'know?

I'm hoping there will be a way to register the current games you have by inputting serial numbers or product numbers, allowing you to play them if they are available.

I still wonder if that's the "real" reason Sony stopped making backward compatible consoles, or if it was just a plausible excuse to make those gamers who were new to Playstation buy both a PS2 and PS3 to get all the games they wanted (like me. ) haha!

Yes, I'm not quite sure what cloud is either.  Is it a place sort of like the Playstation Network where you purchase games, or is it a drive within the PS4 that can read older discs...?

 

Problem is, not everyone has room to keep all their older systems.  Or, at least that's my case.  I've got two generations of Nintendo, two of Playstation, and three handhelds, and, honestly, I'm running out of room to support all these consoles and their games...  I would sure like a system that could play all--or at least a fair number--of them so I wouldn't have to hoard all these consoles.  But yeah, I do see your point.  I think we all just wish the PS4 could answer our troubles and have the ability to play EVERYTHING, y'know?

 

It costs more money to do that. The video industry is only interested in the majority like most things. 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

It costs more money to do that. The video industry is only interested in the majority like most things. 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

Ahhhh, okay; I've actually heard of cloud computing before (for computers, anyway; my grandpa was giving me a big ol' talk about cloud and how he could transfer files from his iphone to mac that way, which I was hardly paying attention to!) but I didn't realize it was the same network being used for the PS4.  Thanks for clearing that up for me. (And the link.)

 

And yeah, I figured it was something like that regarding Sony's compatibility methods.  I just had to state why "I" thought they did it, haha!